Car truck



July 25, 1939. w B'LACKMQRE CAR TRUCK Filed Jan. 22, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 7880 INVENTOR:

M/ZMMB/aatmore v ATTORNEY W. BLACKMORE July 25, 1939;

, CAR TRUCK.

Fil ed Jan. 22, 1935 4 Sheet-Sheet 2 INVENTOR: lfW/l'am fi/dolmare -R-'9/ATTORNEY.

w. BLACKMORE GAR TRUCK Jul 25, .1939.

Filed Jan. 22, 193

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Wmmii 725, 1939 BLACKMQRE 67,231

CAR TRUCK I Q Filed Jan. 22, 1935 4 Shets-Sheet 4 19- 1 229.11

)- ATTORNE'Y.

-This invention relates to railway car trucks and has for an object the provision of a novel 9!! of Figure 7.

Figure 10 is a vertical sectional view on line Patented July 25, 1939 on travel:

Application January 22, 1935, Serial No. 2,850

Claims. (Cl. 105-157) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Figure 9 is a horizontal sectional view on line and improved car truck of the twowheel type, simple and sturdy in construction and reliable 5 and efficient in operation. My novel car truck is especially advantageous in conjunction with.

'cars for light weight, high speed trains, though its utility is manifestly not restricted to cars of any particular weight or type. The invention also provides effectively for tight coupling of the trucks of adjacent cars. A further feature of the invention resides in provisions for enabling swiveling of the car body with respect'to the truck and for urging the truck into such position with respect to the car that the truck axle is at right anglesto the-center line of the car, when the latter is uncoupled. The invention additionally provides novel and eflicient means for mounting a leaf spring between the truck and car body for. supporting said body on said truck. Also, the invention provides new and effective platform buffer constructions, for.

preventing the occurrence of undesirable gaps equipped with car trucks and' platform bufl'ers 3| embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan detail view,

I with parts broken awayjand parts in horizontal section, showing the platform buffers of Figure 1 Figure 3 is a view in end elevation of a platform and associatedbuife'r, taken on'line 3 -3 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectionalview on line 4-4 of; Fig. 2; I

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view similarto Figure4 but showing a modified form of platform buffer construction, Y Figure 6 is a top plan view partly in section showing a truck embodying my invention, together with a-portionpf the adjacent, truck.

' Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the. trucks shown in Figurefi, together with portions oftliecars" mounted thereon. v

- Figure 8 isa vertical sectional view taken on line -H ofFigure 7.

-llll of Figure 10.

lo-4o of Figure 6.

Figure 11 is a vertical sectional view on line 6 Figure 12 is a top plan view, partly broken away, illustrating a modified form of brake hanger bracket mounting.

Fig. 13is a side elevational view showing the 10 brake hanger bracket mounting of Figure 12. Referring to the drawings there are shown at 2, 2 the adjacent end portions of two cars equipped with trucks 3, 3, andplatformbuifers 4, 4 in accordance with my invention. It will, of 15 course, be understood that each car is equipped I at both ends with a truck 3 and platform bufier 4, but a consideration of one end is sufiicient for an understanding of the invention. v

As shown more particularly in Figures 6-8, go each truck 3 comprises abody portion 5 supported from the axle 6 through the medium of spring means, here-illustrated as'a pair of leaf springs I, I. 5 Each leaf spring may, as shown in Figures 7- and 8, be mountedat its central g5 portion on the axle 6, through a pair of upper and lower blocks 8, 8, engaging the axle and a pair of U'-bolts 9,-9, which are passed over the leaf spring and through the blocks. Nuts It) on the lower ends of the 'U-bolts cooperate with so the latter to clamp the leaf spring firmly to the blocks 8, 8, and to maintain the latter in position on the axle. Whilethe axle might, if desired, be integral with the wheels II, II, and thus ro- 'tate in the blocks 8, 8, I have shown the axle as non-rotating, and the wheels as rotatable with respect to said axle. Roller bearings I2 of conventional-design maybe interposed between each wheel ll andthe associated (end portion of the axle 6, so as to enable the wheels to rotate free- 40 ly with respect. to the axle and to each other. The ends of each leafspring I, 'I, are attached to the truck body 5 through means which may be constructed as follows:' Adjacent the ends of each le af spring the truck body is provided with pocket portions l3, I3, in the ends of each of which portionsthere are mounted a pair of bushings l4, I4; each of the latter, as shown particularly in-Fig. l1, compris- 1 ing'a pair of concentric cylinders, I5, 16 between which is a rubber sleeve H. The bushings. I4,

l4 in eachpocket portion B are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the width of the leaf spring I, as will be clear from Figs. 6 and 11. A pair of spacing washers l8, [8 are 66 interposed between the sides of the leaf spring and the inner ends of the bushings. The ends of each of the pocket porti ns l3 are open as shown'at |9, I9, thus enablng a pin 20 to be readily slid into the pocket portion and to be passed through the bushings |'4 therein, as well as through aloop 2| formed by bending the up? per leaf 1' of the spring 1 into the positionshown in Fig. 10. Said pin 26 may be retained in position by a projection 22 on a sleeve 23, which projection fits into an opening 24 in said pin. A bolt 25 is passed through the leaf spring 1 and thence through the sleeve 23 and the free end of the bent leaf 1.. Through the nut 26 on the bolt 25 the leaf spring, sleeve 23, and pin 20 are firmly united in assembled relation. The nut 26 may be locked in position in any well-known manner, and may be conveniently-reached for operation through an opening 21 in the truck body 5. Through the bushings l4, pin 20, sleeve 23, and bolt 25 at each end of each leaf spring 1 it will be readily apparent that the truck body 5 is securely attached to the ends of said springs. At the same time, through the rubber sleeves l1 of the bushings H the transmission of noise from the rails to the truck is materially reduced. In addition, by bending the leaf 1' of eachleaf spring into the lobp formation 2| at its opposite ends, so.that its free ends engaged by the bolts 25 act as cantilevers, tension'is imparted to the adjacent leaves of the spring and friction between the leaves isincreased. A particularly effective snubbing of undesirable oscillations and prevention of excess recoil are thereby obtained.-

The outer end of the truck has a cylindricalv extension 26 which receives .a spring 29 and a buffer member 36. A bolt 3| maintains the buffer member 30 and spring 29 in assembled relation to the cylinder 26. At the opposite side of the truck is a projection 32, which is adapted to cooperate with the spring pressed buffer 36 of the opposing truck. In short, each truck'is provided with a resilient buffer 36 and a rigid extension 32 projecting forwardly from opposite sides of the truck; the rigid member on one side of the truck abutting the resilient bufier on the opposing truck, and the resilient buffer on the first mentioned truck abutting the rigid member on the opposing truck.

Each truck may have suitably attached thereto a coupler' 33 of standard design. The couplers may, if desired, be bolted directly to the truck bodies'and desired relative vertical movement between opposing couplers obtained by permitting the coupler knuckles to slide vertically relative to each other; or, if desired, relative vertical move ment between opposing trucks may be obtained by mounting the couplers inrthe manner illustrated in Figure '6, wherein lateral projections 34, 34

on each coupler engage slidably in vertical guideways 35, 35 on the truck body, whereby the coupler may move vertically with respect to its associated truck. The latter mounting may be employed if, for example, the couplers are of such nature that their knuckles cannot slide vertically with respect to each. other. v

. It will readily be seen that when two adjacent trucks are coupled together, the buffers 36 will maintain the wheels and axles in alinement. The

present invention includes means for maintaining the truck axle 6 at rightangles to. the center line of the car when the latter is uncoupled.

The end" of the car body is mounted on the truck through an annular centerjplate 36 extending 15 downwardly from the car body, which center plate fits into the inner cylinder 31 of a bushing on the truck comprising the metal cylinders 31,

38 and an annular strip of rubber 3 9 therebetween. The cylinder 38 of said bushing fits within an annular pocket or recessed member 46,

either cast integrally with the truck body 5 or suitably secured thereto, the lower rim of, the

bushing cylinder 36 further resting uponan annular ledge 4| in said member 46. It will be noted particularly from Fig. .8 that the body center plate 36 does not rest upon the bottom- 46' of the center plate member 46 of the truck body. At the same time, suflicient clearance is provided between the inner metal cylinder 31 and the body center plate member 36 to enable the truck to swivel freely with respect to the car body. The car body is supported on the body of the truck by the three rollers shown on the truck body at 42, 43, and 44. Roller 42 is provided on the center line'of the truck at the rear end thereof while roller '43 is mounted on an extension 45 of the truck .body to the rear of the rigid projection 32 thereof, and roller 44 is mounted on extension 46 of the truck body to therear of the buffer cylinder 28. Fastened to the under side of the car body above the respective rollers 42, 43, and 44 are bearing members 41, each comprising an intermediate surface 46 concentric with the associated roller and two converging surfaces 49, 49. When the center line of the truck is in alinement with the center line of the car body, or, in other words, the wheel axle 6 is perpendicular to the center line of the car body, the three rollers 42, 43,and 44 engage theintermediate curved surfaces 48 of the respective bearing elements 41, Now if the wheel axle tends to depart from perpendicularrelationship to the center line of the car body, the

said rollers, whereby there is exerted a straightening action on the wheels and axle, urging the latter into perpendicular relation to the center line of the car body. Thus upon departure of the wheel axle from said relation to the car body a powerful restoring force is exerted thereon.

Brake hanger brackets 50 may, if desired, be cast integrally with thetruck body 5 for accommodating conventional brake hangers 5| and shoes 52. Alternatively, each of the upper blocks 8 which receives the central portion of the leaf spring 1, as previously described, may be provided with projections 53, 53, Figures 12 and 13, either cast integrally with said block or suitably attached thereto; said projections being formed at their ends with brake hanger brackets 54, 54

for accommodating the hangers 5|, 5| as shown. With this construction the brake hanger brackets do not participate in vertical movements of the truck. frame with respect to the wheels.-

, The truck body 5 is further provided with projections 66 which overlie the leaf springs 1.

Rubber blocks 69 may be interposed .between said' projections 66 and said leaf springs. Theprojections are normally spaced from the rubberblocks, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, but in the event that a leaf spring breaks, the truck body 5 would be limited in its drop by the engagement of a projection 66' with the-corresponding rubber block 69. Said blocks and projections furthertudinal axis. Pedestals or jaws HI extending downwardly from the truck body 5 cooperate with adjacent sides of the blocks 8, 8, as illustrated in'Figure '7, and insure that the wheels and axle are maintained in proper position longitudinally of the truck if a leaf'spring should break. Normally, the leaf springs hold the axle in such position that there is clearance between the blocks 8, 8 and the inner walls of the jaws or pedestals III.

In addition to the features hereinbefore described, my invention presents the further advantage that in rounding curves the trucks of adjoining cars are so controlled that their axles are caused to be maintained in positions substantially radial to the curve. Thus, for example, referring to Fig. 1, and assuming a curve in the direction indicated at A, it will be apparent that in traversing the curve the inner sides B of the car bodies tend to approach each other and the outer sides C to draw apart. The weights of the respective car bodies, acting upon the rollers 42-44 on the tops of the trucks, tend to maintain said axles perpendicular to the center lines of the cars. However, the adjacent trucks, in pivoting about the coupler knuckles, cause the innerbufier 30 to be compressed; and when said buffer is tight against the forward wall 30' (Fig.

9) of the spring case, further swinging of said trucks under the action of the cars is prevented. The axles now extend in the directions indicated at D, D, pointing substantially toward the center of curvature of the track, andare thus substantially radial to the curve; the car bodies with respect to the trucks in the direction wherein the inner sides of said car bodies approach each other simply results in I raising the car bodies with respect to the trucks,

due to the coactlon between the rollers 42-44 bearing members 41. Owing to the fully compressed inner buffer 30 the trucks are prevented from being swung by the car bodies to such extent that their amount from directions radial to the curve. In Fig. 1 the center lines of the car bodies are indicated at E,-E, and the center lines of the trucks at F, F, for the purpose of illustrating that in rounding said curve A, A, the inner buffer 30 prevents the trucks from following the swinging of the cars to such extent as to cause their axles to depart undesirably from radial relation to the curve. It will be seenthat if the center lines F, F of the trucks were coincident with the center lines E, E of the cars in rounding said curve the wheel flanges would be subjected to considerably greater wear than results from the maintaining of the trucks with their axles along the lines D, D. For curves of shorter curvature than said curve A the center lines ofthe cars. will assume a sharper angle to each other, and hence in the absence of said buffer 30 the trucks would likewise swing into positions at a sharper angle with respect to 'each other, with consequent pronounced wear upon the wheel flanges; but due to the complete compression of said buffer the trucks are prevented from swinging beyond the positions illustrated in Fig. 1 under the action of the cars in rounding such curves. For curves of very large radii the axles will normally not depart substantially from radial position, even though said inner buffer 30 be not fully compressed. The clearance between said buffer 30 and the end 3|) of the case 28 Further swinging of axles depart an undesirable should be small enough to prevent the trucks from being swung so far with respect to each other as to bring their axles an undesirable amount-out of radial'relation to the tracks under the action of the cars in rounding curves of short radii of curvature, but said clearance should at the same time preferably be sufliciently large to permit angling'of said trucks to retain their axles at right angles to the center lines of the cars under the action of the latter in rounding curves of long radii of curvature to enable said axlesto point substantially toward the centers of curvature of saidlong curves. Thus, the in-- ner buffers of the trucks prevent said trucks,

are, radial to the curves around which they are l caused to travel, and said buffers enable said axles to be maintained in positions substantially radial to said curves.

As shown in Figures 1-4, the invention also includes a novel platform buffer construction for enabling passage from one car to the next to be readily accomplished despite angling of the cars with respect to each other, as in rounding curves. For this purpose each car is provided at each end with a buffer casting ll having a vertical wall 12 facing-the opposing car, together with a vertically curved rear wall 13 which fits into a corresponding socket in the platform of the car. A horizontal wall 14 joins the front and rear walls 12 and 13' and is flush with the platform of the car so that no obstruction is offered to parties walking from one car to the other. Extending rearwardly from the wall 13 is a horizontal flange 15 which enters a corresponding recess 16 in the platform and aids in maintaining the platform buffer in position. Extending rearwardly from the bottom of a downward extension 12' of wall 12 is a horizontal wall or flange 11 which, at its rear end, has an upwardly extending flange portion 18 entering a curved recess I9 in the bottom of the platform and engaging behind a curved downwardly projecting lip 80 of said platform. Between the rear curved wall 13 of the bufier casting 11 and the correspondingcurved surface 13' of the'platform there is positioned a rubber strip 8| sufliciently yielding to rearward movement of the buffer casting as to enable the car bodies to approach each other closely enough for coupling. The rubber strip 8| may conveniently be held in place by a thin strip of metal 82 fastened at its ends to the platform wall 13' by bolts 83, 83, as shown in Figure 2. It will be observed that clearance is provided between the flange l8 and the wall 19' of the recess 19 to take care of rearward movement of the casting II, and that clearance for this purpose is further provided between the extension I2 of wall 12 and the end 84 of the platform.- Clearance is also provided between the end of the horizontal flange l5 and the wall 16 of the recess 16, in which said flange engages. The wall 13', I6, and I9, together with the rear surface of the lip 80, are curved, as shown, as are also the wall 13, the rear surface of'the flange l5, and the surfaces of the flange 18 of the casting II, as

' ing 1| may be readily assembled in the platform by simply pivoting it in place, starting from either side of the platform,

"canized or otherwise secured to the faces of the In the modified platform bufler construction shown in Figure 5, parts similar to those of Figures 1-4 are designated by the same reference numerals. In this modified construction the rub-.

ber strips 8| of Figures 1-4 have been omitted and instead blocks or strips of rubber 85 are vulvertical walls 12 and their extensi0ns '|.2'.

-The terms and expressions which Ihave employed are used-as terms of description and notv of. limitation, and I have no intention, in-the' use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof; but recognize that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

I claim: 1. A railway car truck comprising a body, an

Q axle, leaf springs mounted on said axle and supporting said truck 'body through end portions of said springs, said truck body having a relatively narrow center section above said axleand means,

projecting from opposite sides of said center section and overlying intermediate portions of said leaf springs for engagement therewith in event of failure of said end portions.

2. A railway car truck comprising a body-for supporting a car body in'pivotal relation thereto,

3. A railway car truck comprising a body having a relatively narrow center section and a' relatively wide end section, buffers mounted near the side extremities on said wide end section, an axle, leaf springs supported on said axle and supporting said truck body through end portions of said springs, and means projecting from opposite sides of said center section and overlying intermediate portions of said' leaf springs for engagement therewith in event of failure of said end portions.

4. A railway car truck comprising a body having a relatively narrow center section and relatively wide end sections, rollers on said end sections for supporting a car body, an axle underneath said center section, leaf springs supported on said axle and supporting said truck body ing. a relatively narrow center section and rela-.

,tively wide end sections, an axle underneath said center section, leaf springs supported on said axle and supporting said truck body through end portions of said springs associated with the end sections of said truck body, and means projecting from opposite sides of said center section and.

overlying intermediate portions of said leaf springs for engagement therewith in event of failure of said end portions.-

. WILLIAM BLACKMORE. 

